Eva Cox writes in The Conversation (18.5.16) about the so-called ‘trust deficit’ that the nation’s political leaders suffer, in the eyes of the voting populace. The author presents a series of policy positions that, if adopted by one or both major parties, would help to turn around this lack of trust in government.
‘Australia has a trust deficit and it seems to be getting worse. Some early media stories signal that this election is not very welcome, because fewer see the political system as able to fix the problems we are facing.
‘Australians see issues like inequality as problematic and needing fixing. But so far there are few signs that either major party is really tackling the social issues that are creating inequities and divides.
‘The lack of trust is showing up in a range of polls. Recent research showed only 5% of Australians really trust their governments.’